Originally posted by Ken Cooke
In my opinion, the greatest education is global travel.  
| Quote: | Originally posted by Iflyfish
| Quote: | Originally posted by Ken Cooke
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Because the goal of socialism is to ruin capitalism so an ever growing government monster will swallow up all remaining bits of freedom and prosperty
and sink us into the gloom of stateism, communism and equal poverty with government as our master and savior. [Edited on 11-3-2011 by David K]
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David - As you know, I visited Finland in 2006 (before my Copper Canyon 4X4 run), and the people there were living better than most people here in the
USA. The only homeless people I saw were addicts that didn't want help from their country's socialized medicine. (Imagine that!)
Having a toast with new friends in Finland
The floating bar in Finland (only one, btw)
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I very much appreciate your post. Those are really lovely images and I am grateful you shared them with us. It seems to me that Socialism is indeed a
Straw Man here in this thread and in America. Few have traveled enough to understand what you have personally experienced and are sharing with us. I
too have had the very sort of experience you are having with your "Socialist" friends with people that live in “Socialist Countries. Anti-Communism
and Anti-Socialism have been consciously used to scare the American People and give them a common enemy.
The reality is that All countries, including Finland, have mixed economies as does the USofA. I very clearly outlined that fact in a prior post and
got NO response. Words like Socialist, Communist, and Liberal have all become pejoratives in our society and so throwing that label at someone is a
way to discount EVERYTHING they have to say. Too Bad. That is a very limiting thing to do with theories that may have inherent in them some of the
very solutions that we need right now.
It is difficult for many people to tolerate ambiguity and therefore they need to bifurcate the world into good/bad, black/white, liberal/conservative,
socialist/capitalist, Christian/Muslim etc. The world simply is not this way. I believe that many in the US live in a bubble and are unaware of the
larger world around them and their views are shaped by a Corporate Media that thrives on conflict.
I also think that fewer and fewer people read and so have limited access to broader perspectives. It is just easier to adopt a dogmatic position and
maintain that position even in the face of new information. The Theory of Cognitive Dissonance holds that if one repeats something often and long
enough you will believe it even in the face of irrefutable evidence to the contrary.
One more comment and that is on the current state or our economy. I have posted and documented that business owners say that it is the lack of
customers, not regulations that are their major problem right now. I have already documented this in a prior post on this thread. It is also a fact
Corporations have big assets on the sidelines right now as there is confusion in the market place. Corporations are unclear as to what the regulations
will ultimately be and whether or not Congress can get their act together and provide enough stability to create a safe investment environment. I may
have documented this, I am not sure. I am at the coast salmon fishing/crabbing, so don’t have the time to do more research right now, but that
information is out there and beyond refute.
It is also clear that there is a problem with deficits however there is a very real disagreement as to which would stimulate the economy more,
creating government jobs via funding infrastructure thereby putting money in the hands of worker/consumers who will spend that money on goods/services
vs. the argument that providing more tax breaks for Corporations and the wealthy will give them more incentive to invest and create jobs for workers.
It would appear to this reader that the quickest way to jump start the economy is to get people to work and our infrastructure needs upgrading. There
is also a serious issue with the debt but lowering debt will not directly stimulate jobs, but is actually more likely to shrink the economy and that
would make things worse. I am not denying the reality of a debt crisis. I have already amply bloviated on my views as to the source of this debt.
There is clearly disagreement on which approach is best. I think both are needed and more. I don’t think the solutions are binary.
Thanks again for your wonderful post, a breath of fresh air and a unique perspective that had not yet surfaced in this dialogue.
Iflyfish |
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It's our leadership
We have nobody in a postion
of power that has the gonads to put a stop to the insanity of throwing money down one "rat hole" after another.
